Hexenhammer
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: A small village in the Shadowfell falls prey to a demonic witch. As fear and paranoia threaten to consume the people of the town, a mysterious hero born of the darkness is called upon to stop the witch from performing a grisly ritual... before it's too late.
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. But I still enjoy playing it.**

The light of the candles on the shelf flickered casting shadows in the bedroom of Laura Steiner as she readied herself for bed. She had washed her face and dressed in her nightgown before ambling to the mirror to comb out her long dark hair. She looked at her reflection as she combed her hair and gave a slight grumble. It was getting late and her husband Gregor had still not come home yet. At this hour, he probably wasn't performing any of his duties as village mayor. More likely he was out carousing around some tavern with some cheap drunken floozy.

She frowned at her reflection and gritted her teeth slightly as feelings of resentment bubbled up within her. Ever since her looks had begun to fade, her husband had started to ignore her in favor of his job as a village official and finding release in the arms of other younger stupider women. She hated his smug and sanctimonious behavior in public, pretending to be some paragon of virtue and champion of the community. Ever since the growing scare of witchcraft being practiced in the community of Nordenheim, Gregor had found a new cause, throwing himself whole heartedly into eradicating the threat of evil, but she knew better. If there was evil and corruption anywhere it was in his heart. Of course, she had put up with it and turned a blind eye to his indiscretions. He had provided her a comfortable life, though she couldn't be certain why he kept her around either. Perhaps it was because she kept quiet about such things but Laura was not about to question things either.

She ground her teeth again and froze when she suddenly heard a cracking and popping sound. She opened her mouth and found that several of her teeth had suddenly come loose and began falling out. She cried out in horror as small gouts of dark red blood emerged from the stumps in her mouth. Laura fumbled about in a confused panic before she looked in the mirror and saw her reflection had changed.

Her image had taken on a life of its own. It sat calmly in place and regarded her with a sinister open mouthed grin. The monstrous thing slowly wiped some blood from its mouth and smeared it across its face, still wearing its malevolent smile.

Laura staggered backward in terror choking out, "What… what are you?"

The apparition rose up and crossed over from its side of the mirror as its eyes flared and its hair began to trail behind it like a living mane of shadowy tendrils. The demonic looking woman from the mirror pounced while her shriek drowned out the last terrified screams of Laura.

* * *

Early that morning, Sheriff Hans Brunner and his young deputy Klaus Hess of the Nordenheim Town Watch arrived at the home of the mayor. After pushing past the crowd of other watchmen and alarmed townsfolk, the two walked upstairs to survey the grisly scene. They found Laura's body on the floor. Her face was frozen in a mask of terror, made all the more unnerving with her missing teeth and bloodied mess of a mouth. Klaus swallowed hard and took a breath while Hans used his lantern to sweep its light across the room. He stopped when he saw the large vanity mirror at the other end of the room. It was cracked and blood smeared appearing as if fingers had traced down the length of it.

"Sir? What do you make of all this?" the younger blonde haired man asked.

Hans frowned and paced the room with a thoughtful expression, "I can't be sure… but this sure as hell does not look normal."

Klaus studied the bloody shattered mirror, "You don't think this has anything to do with all the talk of witches… do you?"

The grizzled sheriff put a blanket over the body of Laura and gave a hard look, "If it is, we should be worried about what the mayor might do."

"You're talking about those people he had hung," Klaus inferred.

Hans nodded, "The townsfolk are already scared and paranoid Klaus. The mayor passing judgment on those other people without a fair trial has not stopped anything. This will only make things worse, son."

The two men left the room went downstairs to meet mayor Gregor Steiner in his living room surrounded by several of his confidants in the village. He held his head in his hands, "I can't believe my dear Laura is gone… her life cut so tragically short."

Sheriff Brunner stopped at attention with a stone faced expression as the mayor finished his weepy words. Gregor rose, "Sheriff? What do you think of all this?"

"I think we're going to need to investigate more, but I admit the circumstances are… very unusual."

Gregor made a fist, "I'm sure this is the doing of those damned witches! They've caused us enough grief! I won't let them terrorize this town any further!"

"I ask that you not do anything too hasty sir," Hans cautioned, "The public is frightened enough but if there's a threat from within, we have to tread carefully. We can't be sure there's even a real supernatural threat here."

"Now is a time for action Sheriff!" Gregor cried rebuking him with an impassioned growl "It's my duty to protect the people of this town and if you're unable to do it, then I'll do what needs to be done!"

Hans bristled and placed his cap on his head before walking out the door with his deputy. Klaus cast one more look back at the manor as they walked off the front porch into the cold dark night. As they approached the crowd, one of the town watchmen hurried over to Hans with a fearful look. "Sheriff Brunner! We have a problem, sir. A very big one."

Hans pinched the bridge of his nose, "Oh? What is it this time?"

The watchman grimaced, "Reports are coming in that three of the village girls have been reported missing... as if they had been plucked right from their beds."

Hans stared at the man for a moment before exchanging an incredulous glance with his deputy. Klaus furrowed his brow, "Sir… this can't be a coincidence. What are we going to do now? How do we know if there's a real witch out there?"

"We find someone who knows what they're doing. Now come on. We have some work to do and I have a letter to write."

* * *

A light breath of chilly autumn air swirled about the lone horseman as he made his way through the empty forest. He could see the dying light of the sun clinging stubbornly to the skyline in the wake of the encroaching dark of night. The brightness which passed for sunlight here in the Shadowfell was always a weak golden hue even at the very best. Yet, the dim light and warmth that it provided remained a source of constant comfort to the people who did their best to forge a meager existence warding off the persistent gloom and despair that permeated the world.

The horse gave a low whinny as it made its way down the foreboding wooded trail and her rider reached down to pat her neck. It had been a long grueling trip and the rider sympathized with his horse's weariness. He spoke in a low voice and gave his mount a few reassuring words, "Easy girl. Just a little further. We're almost there."

He was a man in his early thirties with dark features and a tall wiry build. He wore a grim countenance across his patrician features while a dark tricorn hat sat upon his head. As he rode along, he pulled up the collar of his dark leather coat to ward off the damp chill that was setting in over the land. He took a moment to survey the woods and couldn't help but notice how the branches of the barren trees above took on a more menacing demeanor as night crept closer. Several of the branches curled toward the path like skeletal fingers while others stretched out toward the dark skies, as if crying out for release from a fate of slow agonizing decay.

As they continued along, the rider saw the trail before them was strewn with fallen leaves. In this particular meadow, the leaves had been dark red and the spatters of crimson almost had the appearance of a path stained in blood. He passed a large tree stump and felt his horse suddenly stop. He reached for his silver rapier at his side before looked in surprise to see a woman in a black hooded robe lounging upon the makeshift seat. She had an odd ethereal beauty about her with smooth pale skin and piercing dark eyes. Although her robes and hood obscured her hair and other signs of femininity, the Dark Lady fixed him with a slight look of amusement as a thin ghost of a smile curled at her the corner of her lips.

"A beautiful evening for a ride, isn't it Alaric?"

"If the Lady says so," he sighed while taking his hand off his blade to address the ghostly woman.

The Dark Lady idly turned her head and looked down the path, "Best you enjoy the quiet scenery now, Hunter. There is great danger ahead in Nordenheim."

"In this place, there is danger everywhere my Lady. I've already come to expect your appearances as omens of such things."

The Lady smiled and gave a small laugh, "Come now Alaric, you know I always come to warn you of danger. But I freely offer you counsel and direction to your mission as well."

"At the behest of the Raven Queen," Alaric pointed out, referring to the goddess of death and the ruler of this realm, "Whatever mission that is..."

The Lady sighed and shook her head as she got up from the tree stump. She quietly paced over and gently stroked the horse's flank, "It's not our place to question the will of The Mistress. What her purpose for you is, I cannot say. Only she is privy to the strands of fate and your true destiny."

"One that involves killing all manner of dark beings and monsters that prey on this realm? There's no shortage of them here," Alaric said sourly.

The Dark Lady smiled and gave a shrug, "You were once an adventurer in your past life weren't you? Of all your lost memories, surely you haven't forgotten the art of savagery and how to kill your enemies."

"It's all I have now," Alaric admitted as the ghostly lady in black robes floated back toward the tree.

"Have faith my brave Hunter. She has empowered you with all you need to survive here. In time, I know you will find your way."

As Alaric blinked his eyes and turned to follow her, the Dark Lady had seemingly vanished leaving him alone once more in the barren woods. He shook his head and gave a mild snort before spurring his horse forward. He dared not waste any more time in these unfamiliar woods. He checked his inner coat pocket which contained a letter along with written orders from the clergy. Alaric tucked them away and began the last leg of his journey before reaching the remote settlement of Nordenheim.

* * *

Twilight had already begun to set in over Nordenheim as the people of the village made their way indoors. Being out late at night and wandering from the safety of the village had always been a danger in this land. With the recent death of the mayor's wife the people had been put on edge. It was at this time that the Town Watch did their grim duty of taking up their weapons and lanterns to do their nightly patrols. Klaus Hess slipped on a blue and white tabbard over his chain mail shirt before taking up his lantern and mace to go on patrol.

The young watchman stopped at the door of his little house as his girlfriend Kirsten came to kiss him goodbye. She was a young modest peasant girl of about twenty, like Klaus. She was an attractive girl but her features were contorted in a look of genuine worry. "Please be careful out there Klaus. I have a bad feeling that something might happen tonight."

"Ah, you must be spending too much time around that old fortune-teller," Klaus laughed giving her a reassuring hug and trying to be brave. He had been referring to an older woman known to the townspeople as simply Tala. The lady had been a wandering Vistani trader in her younger years and had picked up all sorts of odd talents like card reading and crafting along with stories from her travels. Presently, Tala ran a small business with Kirsten's help as her apprentice. Kirsten gathered herbs in the nearby woods and Tala would brew them into potions that were used to heal all manner of ailments and sickness. Although old Tala was considered as a bit of an eccentric by many, the people of Nordenheim thought of her as mostly harmless and tolerated having her around.

"Klaus, I'm serious! The mayor's wife is dead and those girls went missing recently! Promise me you won't take any needless risks tonight."

The deputy sighed and gave her a light kiss before walking out the door, "I promise. When I get back later, we can sit down over your chicken stew and I'll tell you all about what a boring patrol I had."

Klaus walked down some cobblestone roads across the length of the village toward the guardhouse building where the Town Watch mustered. It was a humble stone building serving as both the village's jail and office for the sheriff. As he ambled down the path and turned a corner around a house, he stopped when he heard a great commotion coming from the sheriff's guardhouse. In the flickering light of some of the torches placed near the building, Klaus could see several humanoid figures circling around the building. The eerie figures had the appearance of feral marionettes made of wood. Leaves and vines clung to their spindly arms and legs while they moved about in a macabre sort of dance, as if manipulated by invisible puppet strings. The heads of the artificial creatures wore menacing grins which were permanently carved into their faces as they circled around two watchmen who were standing their ground with spears. Three watchmen lay injured on the ground while the remains of one of the feral marionettes sat shattered on the lawn.

The guards thrust their spears into the puppet men only to have the spearheads stick into their wooden bodies. The monsters slapped aside the watchmen while the doors of the guardhouse flew open as a pair of them dragged out Sheriff Brunner. Hans looked beaten and disheveled and he groaned as he was tossed face first into the dirt. The monstrous puppet creatures circled around like wolves to a kill and Klaus gripped his mace. He had made a promise to Kirsten to be careful but he was still a watchman and he couldn't leave his comrades in danger either.

He mustered up his courage and charged forward smashing aside two of the monsters with a great swing of his mace. The deputy stood over the injured sheriff and faced down the monsters as they regrouped and turned on him, "Hey! Back off! You've still gotta deal with me!"

As the monstrous marionettes circled around, Klaus felt his bravado suddenly melt away. He had been doubtful about the presence of dark magic in the village, but in the face of these demonic creatures, he was certain there was a witch about. He lashed out with his mace but one of the monsters swatted it away as another knocked Klaus to the ground from behind. The young man grunted and shook the stars from his eyes as he crawled over to try and protect the downed sheriff. He gasped in fear and whispered a silent apology to Kirsten before closing his eyes to await his fate.

In the near distance, the deputy watchman suddenly heard the sounds of horse hooves pounding forward and passing by. There was a rush of wind overhead and several marionettes were thrown to the ground before Klaus could see a dark rider rear his horse and quickly dismount to face the horrors. The mysterious man wore a tricorn hat over a long dark leather coat that kicked up behind him. The flickering torchlight nearby reflected off the horseman's steel pauldrons and bracers that he wore over his coat while he drew a long silver rapier.

The monstrous puppets focused on their new prey and scuttled forward to attack the new target. Alaric tensed and took a defensive stance while giving a small smile to himself, "Six against one... those odds are hardly fair for you."

As the monsters pounced, Klaus sat and stared in awe as his rescuer swiftly evaded the strikes of the puppets and skillfully parried them aside with his blade. Alaric moved with an almost preternatural grace and confidence born of practice and experience. The Hunter spun through his foes and counter-slashed at their limbs and joints cutting two of them apart into pieces. As the others moved to strike and cover their downed allies, Alaric rolled clear and reached into his coat to produce a wand. With a quick arcane gesture of the implement, Alaric called out an incantation to send a crackling bolt of searing blue energy that blasted apart another marionette. The remaining three spread out and circled around Alaric to try and attack from all sides.

The Hunter struck the head off the first puppet and kicked it away before parrying the next with a whirling sword strike. Alaric turned on his heel and used his momentum to throw the monster into the third attacker and tangle them up. Alaric gestured with his wand again and unleashed another jet of eldritch energy that destroyed the pair with one blast. As the remaining chips of wood and embers rained down, Alaric gave a nod and sheathed his sword before he felt a tug at the end of his coat. He looked down to see the last headless puppet had crawled over and feebly tried to pull at the ankles of his mortal foe.

Alaric paused in surprise as he saw the young town watchman come over to bash the puppet down to the ground. Klaus thrust the flaming torch into the wooden marionette and stepped back as the monster was set on fire. The headless automaton thrashed and convulsed several times before falling still like a sick imitation of a corpse.

The two men watched quietly as the remaining monster burned before Alaric broke the silence, "Thanks for the help kid. And quick thinking with the torch too. It was a good touch."

Klaus stared in slack jawed amazement as Alaric clapped him on the shoulder and began walking toward the injured men of the Town Watch. The Hunter gave a wink, "Trust me, killing monsters with fire is always a safe bet."

"I... what's going on here? Who are you anyway?"

The Hunter turned his head and touched the brim of his hat, "I'm a Hunter and I've been sent by the clerics of Raven's Eyrie to help."

Klaus blinked again in shock, "Raven's Eyrie? In the city of Gloomwrought? Then that means..."

"That's right," Alaric nodded as he tucked away his wand into his coat, "My name is Alaric and I'm here about your witch problem."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **For anyone curious, I'm going to be drawing on the world lore provided in the 4th Edition Points of Light setting.**


	2. Witch Hunting

A warm fire crackled from the hearth as the village guardhouse was turned into a makeshift hospital for the injured men of the town watch. Kirsten and Tala had been summoned to help provide first aid while the injured men rested on some cots. Kirsten brewed some herbal poultices while her older wizened mentor examined the guards' injuries. From the corner of the room, Alaric watched the old Vistani woman curiously noting her eclectic dress, her eccentric bangled jewelry, and the red headscarf she wore around her head. "I'm impressed. You seem to know a thing or two about the healing arts?"

Tala glanced over and gave a wry smile, "Some of the things I had to learn while wandering across the Darklands my boy. There were always threats of marauders and monsters lurking about."

"Speaking of which, do you know what those things even were?" Klaus asked as he came over and offered the Hunter a hot earthenware cup of weak tea.

"Mannequins… monstrous puppets animated by dark sorcery," Alaric explained as he removed his cap revealing some gray steaks along the sides of his short dark hair. Alaric picked up the cup and took a slow sip, "That's a clear sign some kind of witch or dark wizard is at work here."

Klaus chewed his bottom lip in thought, "Then you're very familiar with this sort of thing? You're some kind of mage?

"I've been called a lot of things," Alaric shrugged, "Most would probably say something akin to a warlock."

Kirsten exchanged an uneasy look with Tala before the older woman finished her rounds and came over to join them. The old woman studied Alaric carefully, "One who's been sanctioned by the church in Raven's Eyerie? Interesting."

Alaric met the probing gaze of the old fortune teller, "How so?"

"There's an aura of death that hangs around you," Tala said in a solemn voice as she scrutinized him, "I can sense it… not an evil one, but a dark aura nonetheless."

Alaric kept a level gaze, "Well you can rest easy old woman. I'm here to help you."

At that moment, the door abruptly opened and the mayor of the town burst in followed by the town's local priest, Father Mordecai. Although Mayor Gregor Steiner was not a particularly tall or well built man, he puffed himself up to look officious while turning his green eyes on the people present, "What is going on here? I just got word that the Watch was attacked! Where is Sheriff Brunner?"

"He's over there Mayor Steiner," Klaus replied rising to his feet and pointing to his boss in the corner, "The Sheriff was hurt badly in the attack and he's sleeping right now."

"Then that means you're in charge here?"

Klaus nodded, "It seems that way sir. These other people have offered to help and…"

"Where are the bodies of the monsters?" Father Mordecai interrupted.

"We burned them out back," Alaric quickly called out as he rose to his feet, "They were tainted by black magic and we couldn't take any more chances with the remains."

"That is not for you to decide," the gaunt sallow skinned cleric scowled, "Just who in blazes are you?"

Alaric stared down the balding dark robed cleric, "My name is Alaric. I've been sent here by Raven's Eyerie to investigate the threat of a witch. You had requested help, didn't you?"

Gregor gave an indignant huff, "You answered a summons from us? An agent from the City of Midnight? On whose authority?"

Alaric pointed to the comatose Sheriff and then produced the copy of the letter sent by Hans along with his written orders, "Apparently on his."

Gregor snatched the papers and studied them before giving a grudging admission of their validity, "It would seem our dear sheriff overstepped his bounds and went over my head to call you. I'm sorry you wasted your time coming out here but we will deal with this witch problem ourselves, thank you."

"You'll forgive me if I have my doubts," Alaric pointed out, "You have several men of the town guard who were just seriously injured. If there's a powerful witch about, you're going to need all the help you can get. Deputy Hess tells me there have already been several murders and kidnappings as well."

"Incidents which my council and I are addressing right now."

"You mean by going around and hanging anyone who crosses you or gives you a funny look?" Tala cut in defiantly challenging the mayor.

Gregor growled and met her stern gaze with one of his own, "You'd best remember who you're talking to old woman. I'd hate to learn that you were mixed up in all this… aiding and abetting such monsters."

Alaric stepped in and interjected to defend Tala, "Mayor… perhaps it's best if you took me up on my offer."

Gregor's features tightened into a sour grimace, "Very well Alaric. If you insist on staying here, then Deputy Hess will be responsible for your end of the investigation. I will continue doing my own duties, but I'll advise you to stay out of the way Witch Hunter."

The mayor handed back the papers and left the guardhouse with the cleric in tow. Alaric sniffed and tucked the papers away back into his coat, "Charming fellow… I can see why so many people voted him into office."

Klaus frowned, "You're playing a dangerous game, Hunter. If we're going to get to the bottom of all this, then we can't have the mayor acting as our enemy either. There's a lot more going on among the people of this village."

"Then I'll need your help in understanding," Alaric nodded, "There is one thing I am concerned about as well."

Everyone looked quietly to him before Alaric paced over to the window, "If those mannequins were in fact summoned and controlled by some witch, why attack this guard post?"

"Maybe it's all to prevent the village from fighting back?" Kirsten chimed in as she finished preparing the healing poultices.

"Maybe, but if the town watch didn't pose a threat before, why would they now?" Alaric mused, "It hasn't stopped this witch from killing those people and kidnapping these other girls too."

"Alaric is right," Tala agreed with a grim nod, "When witches strike and curse others, the purpose is usually motivated by vengeance. I imagine this attack was used to send a message or spread fear to someone on the watch who would pose a direct threat."

Alaric looked over to the comatose form of Sheriff Brunner before heading for the door, "I may have a hunch about where to start with all this. Deputy Hess? I'll meet you tomorrow morning at the Nordenheim Inn. We'll start investigating right away."

Klaus watched as Alaric put his cap back on, tipped it toward the women, and then headed out the door to get a room at the village inn. The young deputy had not expected to become the acting sheriff so soon, much less confront a supernatural threat all in one night. Against his will, he knew he was going to be in over his head now.

* * *

Early the next morning, Alaric met with Klaus after breakfast and the two rode their horses down the main road of the village. As it was a late autumn morning, the sun had not climbed very high into the skies and the air was brisk and chilly, signalling the onset of winter. As they rode, they saw a few rough looking men in leather armor standing on the porch of a nearby storefront quietly watching them as they passed. Klaus muttered, "Some of the mayor's own hired help. With all the paranoia of witches here, they were taken on as hired muscle."

"And eyes for Steiner I'd wager," Alaric nodded calmly, "Let them watch. What can you tell me about Mayor Steiner? He seemed a bit prickly. Impressed with himself too."

Klaus shrugged, "I suppose so. His wife fell victim to the witch not too long ago, so I guess he might be off in head... but I'm not sure in his heart he'd care all that much either."

Alaric turned curiously as Klaus continued carefully, "Everyone in town knew Gregor was in a loveless marriage and they were just going through the motions. His own wife didn't seem to care that he'd go around hitting the pubs and flirt with other women. I knew he had been spending some time recently with some elven woman who had come to town not too long ago."

Alaric decided to file that bit of information away and nodded, "And that cleric? Father Mordecai?"

"One of the the mayor's loyalists," Klaus explained, "He's basically been the one throwing his spiritual authority behind the mayor's witch hunts and making them legitimate. Others say he's been doing nothing but help stir up more paranoia and fear."

"I see. Sheriff Brunner wrote that he was concerned innocent people were facing summary execution and sent to the gallows on flimsy charges."

"There are some that feel that way... yes," Klaus said cautiously, "You heard Tala also felt the same way too last night."

"And you?"

Klaus hesitated, "I'm not sure that's my place to say."

"You're the acting Sheriff now Mr. Hess. It's your job to be suspicious of everyone and question them," Alaric pointed out. "That's what Sheriff Brunner was doing and your mayor didn't appreciate it, did he?"

Klaus grimaced and remained quiet for a long moment before speaking again, "Where are we going? There are a few girls from the village who were abducted around the times of the murders. Shouldn't we be making that a priority right now?"

Alaric nodded and urged his horse on, "We will, but if we're going to locate them and the witch, we have to work through this step by step to find a pattern. If there's a witch causing harm, I want to go to the home of each victim and have a look around."

Klaus sighed, "All right... we can start at the farm of Bernard Landa just outside of town. He seems to believe his crops may have been blighted."

The Hunter spurred his horse, "All right then. What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Later that day, the two investigators arrived at the modest home of Mr. Landa, a portly middle aged farmer who was just finishing up salvaging what he could of his meager harvest. The kindly older farmer directed them to a section of the fields that had been blighted causing a quarter of the wheat crops to fail. The farmer wrinkled his features, "It's the damndest thing. I know the soil and conditions here have always been a little unreliable, but never like this. Within just a few weeks, a quarter of my entire harvest went bad. Do you really think this has a connection with those murders and kidnappings in town because my family is scared to death over all that's been going on. It seems Mayor Steiner has done nothing about it."

Klaus watched as Alaric half listened and rode alongside the dividing fences, inspecting the ground carefully as they went about the scene, "I guess we'll find out Mr. Landa. Alaric? What exactly are you looking for?"

The Hunter ignored him for a minute and studied the rows of fallow fields before he hopped off his horse and bent down toward a small mound of dirt. Alaric quickly began to dig around the soil as Klaus and Bernard came over to see what he had found. "What is it?"

Alaric unearthed a very small palm sized pouch in a red felt bag that was tied up at the top with string cord. Upon the bag there was a menacing symbol drawn on it with a horned skull upon a rod like object. Alaric looked up with a dark expression, "Just as I thought... this is a hex pouch."

The two other men exchanged a puzzled look before the Hunter explained, "When witches lay down a curse on someone, they place these nearby the victim to act as a sort of magnet, or conduit for their dark magic. There' a relatively short range around it but it seems it was enough to hurt these crops here."

"Why would someone want to curse me?" Landa sputtered in confusion, "I don't really have enemies and I sure as hell haven't associated with any witches."

"We'll try to figure that out Mr. Landa," Alaric explained as he opened the bag and deposited the contents of the bag on the ground. In it were some moldy looking herbs and fungus along with some chicken bones and unidentified powders. "To be honest, I'm much more worried about what this particular pouch is hinting at."

"What's that?" Klaus asked.

Alaric showed the symbol drawn on the bag, "This is the mark of the demon lord Orcus. We might not be dealing with some amateur witch after all."

Klaus swallowed hard. He had only heard stories of the mythical demon Prince of the Undead known as Orcus. He was feared by the inhabitants of the Shadowfell while the devout servants of the Raven Queen had nothing but hate and revulsion for the powerful demon that always threatened the realm. He was responsible for defying the natural cycle of life and death, instead creating undead who were unnatural monsters in their eyes. The Hunter put away the pouch in his coat pocket and mounted his horse, "Thank you for your time Mr. Landa. You've been a big help."

Klaus hurried to get back on his horse, "Alaric! Wait! Where are you going?"

The Hunter looked to the skies and gestured back toward town, "We've got to visit some of the other victims and I don't want to waste any more time before nightfall. Let's go!"

* * *

As night fell over the village of Nordenheim, Alaric and Klaus returned to the inn to go over their notes as they ate a late dinner in the common dining room. A warm cozy fire crackled from the hearth as they were served bowls of beef and vegetable stew along with some bread and beer. Klaus leaned back in his seat, "All right... save for the mayor's house, we found hex pouches at each of the other victim sites matching the same one at the Landa farm so we know it was the same witch."

"Or witches," Alaric pointed out, "At times they work in small groups called covens."

"Okay, next we have to figure out what all he victims have in common," Klaus mumbled as he ate his food.

Alaric thoughtfully stirred his stew with a pensive expression, "Hmm... Tala did point out that witches often target and curse others out of a sense of vengeance, either theirs or at someone's request. Maybe all the victims had a common enemy?"

Klaus thought it over a little, "You did say you had a working theory or some kind of hunch last night, didn't you?"

Alaric looked around the room cautiously. There weren't too many other patrons in the room eating meals or drinking and there seemed to be enough ambient noise to muffle their conversation, "Part of me wondered if some of these supernatural attacks tied in to Mayor Steiner somehow."

"You're serious?" Klaus asked almost spitting up his beer, "I mean, he's a lot of things... a cheater, an asshole, a politician... but what makes you think he would collude with a witch of Orcus bring harm on his own community? Why would he do that?"

"I'm not sure yet," Alaric frowned to himself, "What I do know is that he had a possible reason to want to kill his wife. He had a motive to go after Sheriff Brunner, and maybe he had some negative dealing with Mr. Landa too. Landa didn't seem to fond of him either."

"Maybe... but it still seems like a little bit of a stretch right now," Klaus admitted, "Maybe we can dig deeper tomorrow and get a fresh new start on things?"

Alaric nodded, "That sounds like a wise idea Sheriff."

Klaus stopped and gave a sheepish shrug, "Sheriff? Don't you think you're giving me a little too much credit here? You're basically the one leading this investigation."

"One that wouldn't be going as well if I didn't get help from a competent lawman," the Hunter said matter of factly as he finished his food.

"I don't know about that," Klaus admitted, "The only other one around here that seems to think I might be a brilliant official is Kirsten. I guess that makes me pretty lucky, huh?"

"Sometimes women do bring out the best in men and see things we can't see in ourselves," Alaric shrugged as he took a sip of beer.

"How about you Alaric? You've hardly said anything about yourself today. I know monster hunting must be a dangerous job, but no wife and kids at home?"

Alaric shook his head, "No. I'm afraid not. Even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't tell you much about my past because I honestly don't remember any of it."

"You're serious?"

"From time to time I have vague memories that seem to linger just out of reach," Alaric said quietly, "Like trying to remember details of a passing dream."

Klaus nodded slowly and took a sip of his own beer, "Maybe you can speak to Tala and she can help. She also seems to know a lot of things about magic and fortune telling."

"I think I might pass on that, thanks."

"Is it because of what she said the other day?" Klaus asked, "About some aura of death around you?"

Alaric's expression darkened slightly and he finished his beer. He placed a few silver pieces on the table and rose to depart, regarding his companion with a slightly chillier tone in warning, "Best you stay focused and get some rest Klaus. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. This witch who is terrorizing Nordenheim will not show any mercy and neither will I."


	3. Toil and Trouble

The sound of merry echoing laughter rang in Alaric's ears as brief flashes of people and places swirled about his mind in a haze. One moment he was riding with a group of people in a field of golden wheat with blue skies and bright sunlight above. Then he found himself sitting in a tavern with a familiar handsome man in a suit of polished plate armor. The warrior with a trimmed dark beard gave a grin and offered his mug of ale to celebrate something in a toast. Next time he blinked, Alaric found himself laying in the grass with the stars of the evening skies above. His head rested in the lap of beautiful half elf woman who stroked his cheek and looked to him lovingly. The air was warm, balmy, and the sweet scents of summer flowers tickled his nose before Alaric heard a popping sound and opened his eyes.

As he realized he had been dreaming, Alaric found himself back in his room of the Nordenheim inn. The room was shrouded in shadows and the air was once again cool and damp. No doubt the sun had not risen yet and it was still too early. The flames in the nearby firepit had begun to die out casting the room with dim light. The Hunter sighed and struggled to recall what he had seen in his dream. The people and places had seemed so familiar... perhaps echoes of his life before he had lost his memories? He sat up and looked around only to freeze in momentary shock when he saw a figure sitting in a nearby chair.

Alaric immediately recognized the long black shroud of the Dark Lady as she reposed in the chair watching the fireplace and keeping a morbid sort of vigil over her sleeping charge. The Lady's pale features and dark eyes made her look like a phantom in the darkness and she gave an amused smile to greet him. "Good morning Alaric. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Alaric calmed himself and sat upright giving the ghostly messenger a mild frown, "And you look like you have a strange sense of timing."

The Dark Lady rose from her chair and glided across the dark floors to place a small fresh log over the firepit, "I came to discuss your recent findings today."

"You mean with the hex pouches?" Alaric asked, "Yes. I wanted to ask you to relay some important information back to Raven's Eyerie. It seems that the demonic cultists of Orcus are at work here."

He reached for his night stand and handed her one of the pouches. The Dark Lady looked it over calmly and tucked it away with a slow nod, "Yes. That is a troubling development. Do you believe there are other cultists in town?"

"I can't be sure yet, but I don't believe so," Alaric answered, "Given the limited number of targets, I think this might be the work of a lone actor and not a coven."

The Dark Lady tucked away the pouch into the sleeve of her robe, "I see. I would not dawdle in your investigation Alaric. The style of markings on this pouch suggest that this witch belongs to the Blood Moon Coven."

"Meaning..."

"Meaning those particular blood witches tend to carry out powerful rituals during the times of the blood moon," the Dark Lady answered with an unusual solemnness in her tone, "One such moon which will rise in two days time."

Alaric nodded, "Klaus said that the witch has taken several girls from the village already. If she intends to sacrifice them, then she's going to keep them alive... at least for now."

The Dark Lady remained impassive, "So how do you plan to root her out?"

"I have a feeling there might be someone from within who is helping the witch. If I can find the common thread, I think I can find her."

"Time is of the essence Hunter. I wish you luck."

The door knocked, startling Alaric. He turned and saw the Dark Lady had vanished and he went to fetch his cloak before unlocking the door. He was surprised to find Klaus on the other side. The younger man stepped back, "Alaric. I'm sorry to wake you. There's trouble and I thought you should know."

"Klaus? What happened?" he said allowing the sheriff inside.

"There's been some sort of illness that's starting to spread. Several people have fallen sick with fever, weakness, and the pox. I fear it might be another curse brought on by the witch."

"And you think it's no coincidence that it's started all of a sudden," Alaric said as he dressed and gathered his gear, "Maybe Tala and Kirsten can help treat some of the victims."

"That's just it! All of the people who got sick already went to see them earlier that day," Klaus replied in distress.

Alaric blinked in surprise, "What? How can that be?"

The Hunter threw on his dark leather jacket, "Well... never mind that. Let's go and see to this."

* * *

As the morning sun began to rise and the settlement of Nordenheim once again came to life, Alaric crossed town and came to the small home of Tala at the edge. It was a small wooden house that almost looked like a hut with shabby decor on the outside and a slightly dilapidated roof. Outside were a small crowd of angry people who appeared to be residents of the town and relatives of the victims who had contracted the mysterious plague. Many of them jeered and called insults from the small picket line they had formed, "Come on out witch! We know you're hiding in there! Your time for terrorizing us is over!"

Alaric and Klaus pushed past to enter the house and townspeople gave way for the acting sheriff and the Church's designated witch hunter. Inside the cluttered home, they found a distraught looking Kirsten as she sat by Tala at a nearby table. There was a pot brewing in the fireplace and shelves of various herbal potions lined one of the walls. Kirsten jumped up from the table and went to Klaus, "Klaus! Thank goodness you're here! Things are starting to look really bad out there aren't they?"

Alaric glanced toward the old Vistani woman who sat calmly laying out tarot cards on the table. She seemed unperturbed and remained quiet as she laid out the cards.

He cleared his throat, "You don't seem very bothered by the serious crimes that people are accusing you of."

Tala looked up slowly, "Why should I be worried about a crime I did not commit Witch Hunter? I don't suppose you believe I was the one who inflicted that pox on the people, do you?"

"I'm not sure what to believe," Alaric admitted as he began to examine the room, "But I'd like you to tell me what happened. Who did you see yesterday? What unusual things did you notice?"

As Tala went through a list of the usual townspeople who came to buy elixirs the other day, Alaric stopped when he found something tucked away in a shelf. He produced another hex pouch with the familiar sigil of Orcus on it. "What is this doing here?"

Tala's eyes went wide in shock, "What is that? How did that get there?"

Kirsten looked to Tala in shock, "You aren't an actual witch... are you?"

"Of course not girl! Don't be daft!"

Alaric shook his head, "I don't think she is either. Why would a witch plant a hex pouch in her own house to sabotage her clients?"

"You're saying that was planted here by someone?" Klaus asked.

"How do you think this got here?" Alaric demanded. Kirsten and Tala looked to one another if trying to recall anything when Kirsten snapped her fingers, "The elf maid... Mona. She was poking around in that corner saying she was looking for a hair dye the other day."

"The same one who's been carrying on an affair with Mayor Steiner?" Klaus asked.

No one got a chance to answer his question as Mayor Steiner, the cleric Mordecai and a pair of his hired bodyguards came through the door. He spied the hex pouch in Alaric's hand and turned toward the Vistani woman, "I should have known it was you Tala! You were the last witch of the coven hiding in plain sight here, weren't you?"

"What are you talking about you idiot?" Tala fired back angrily, "You can't just barge in here uninvited! I'm going to..."

"You forget witch, I am the mayor of this town and I'm carrying out my duty to protect my people. You've stood in the way long enough and you're going to pay for your crimes of bringing disease on our people. Guards?"

The two guards seized Tala and Kirsten causing the women to struggle while Klaus whirled around in outrage.

"Mayor? What do you think you're doing? You can't do this!"

"I can boy, and you'd best stay out of the way," the mayor snarled at him, "You are still a town official and you answer to me, remember?"

Alaric growled and reached for the hilt of his sword, "He may be bound to your word, but I'm not. Release those women immediately."

Mayor Steiner looked to Alaric and scoffed as he took the hex pouch, "It wouldn't be a good idea to draw your weapon on me here Hunter. There's an angry mob that's already outside and there's no telling who may get hurt if chaos breaks out. If you want to clear the names of Tala and Kirsten, then you'll be free to do so when we put them on trial."

"You mean put us through a farce and then kill us," Tala sniped back.

Steiner gave her a venomous look and then turned to Alaric, "We thank you for your help in finding the last witches. Best you get to work finding those missing girls now Hunter.."

Alaric remained silent and fixed Steiner with a cold glare.

The mayor pushed past him followed by Mordecai and the other guards as they escorted Tala and Kirsten out the door to the cheers of the mob. Once the door had closed, Klaus turned to the Hunter and waved a hand impatiently, "We have to do something Alaric! Tala and Kirsten have been set up! I'm sure of it."

"I agree. And we will do something," Alaric said, "But we have to be careful about this too. We have little under two days to rescue everyone."

"How do you know?"

"I have a friendly informant," Alaric said walking over to start writing a list on the table, "Now come on. We have some notes to compare."

* * *

Later that day, Alaric and Klaus made their way back across town as early evening set in. Klaus gave an uneasy look, "So you really think Mayor Steiner is in league with the witch? How? Why?"

"I haven't worked out the why yet, but he does have motive," Alaric pointed out, "Based on what you've told me, several of the people who died or got hexed were either political enemies of the mayor or people who got in his way. Don't you think it odd that Steiner is in the process of purchasing some land of one of the victims who died recently? Or that his loveless marriage ended with a mysterious gruesome murder?"

"But he can't be the only one planting all those hex pouches. Someone would have seen him, like at Tala's potion ship."

"Exactly. That's why we have to look at people tied to the mayor who might be working on the inside," Alaric pointed out, "Like his mistress."

"Mona?"

"She hasn't been in town all that long and she has been at some of these locations," Alaric nodded, "I want to go find her and talk to her."

Klaus sighed, "Well she's often been seen hanging around one of the other taverns in town called the Pale Moon. Do you want me to come along too?"

Alaric gave a thoughtful look and shook his head, "No. I can take care of this by myself. You should go and look in on Tala and Kirsten. Make sure they're okay."

The younger man gave a grateful nod and rode off down one of the other streets leaving Alaric by himself. The Hunter scanned his surroundings and saw that with darkness coming, people were starting to head back inside for the day. With any luck, he'd find this Mona woman and get what he needed out of her.

After a short trip, he found the rustic looking tavern called the Pale Moon marked by a White crescent moon painted on the overhanging signpost. The Hunter entered and removed his hat while taking in his surroundings. It was a small cozy place with a crackling fireplace and a slightly cleaner upscale looking decor. A number of the local patrons looked to be merchants or well to do artisans who were either sharing drinks or eating meals with meat, cheese, and wine. Several of the patrons gave Alaric a curious if wary look and allowed the menacing outsider some space.

A lute player strummed a quiet folk tune in the corner of the room as Alaric took a seat by the bar. He placed a few silver pieces pieces down toward the barkeep and spoke quietly, "A moment of your time sir. I'm looking for an elf maid. She goes by the name of Mona."

The barkeep glanced over and pointed to a corner table where a beautiful Elven woman with long dark hair and green eyes sat. The barkeep poured two small glasses of wine and accepted Alaric's payment with a wink, "I would be careful with that one if I were you sir. But if you insist, best not to go empty handed."

Alaric nodded in gratitude and plucked some salt from the counter. He put a dash of salt in his own drink and strode over to where the woman sat gazing idly into the fire. The Hunter placed a wine glass down on the table and gestured to the empty chair across from her at the table, "May I join you?"

Mona looked up at him and then to the glass before giving a coy smile, "I wasn't planning on having any company tonight but I won't turn away a stranger's kindness either."

Alaric took a seat and watched Mona as she took a sip of the wine and gave an approving nod, "It's good. Thank you."

Alaric kept his gaze steady, "I thought I'd make a good first impression. I'm new in town and looking to make some friends here."

"Well you're certainly succeeding," Mona laughed lightly, "I didn't think you looked familiar."

"No more than you," Alaric answered, "I had heard from some folks that you were new in town as well. I thought we'd have that in common."

"I'm not sure how much beyond that," Mona replied in amusement, "I had heard from some townsfolk that there was a witch hunter who was lurking about. I don't suppose you know him, do you? Mr..."

"Alaric. And you shouldn't believe everything you hear," Alaric said matching her smirk.

"Mona," she introduced herself taking his hand in a dainty shake. She took another sip of her wine, "And I'd be wise to believe some of those rumors. I've heard of this town's trouble with some witch that was terrorizing them recently."

"And yet you haven't moved on? Looked for some place safer to go?"

Mona waved it off, "Even if I wanted to, where would I go? Winter is fast approaching and I'm sure you know just how dangerous the wilderness and the Dark Lands can be."

"May I ask what your trade is Ms. Mona?"

She grinned, "You're not interrogating me, are you? You don't suspect I have anything to do with this witchcraft hysteria, do you?"

"Should I?"

Mona laughed, "You have nothing to fear Alaric. Many of us heard that Mayor Steiner and his men had rounded up the last of the witches just this morning."

He grimaced, "You'll forgive me if I'm still a little skeptical about the whole thing."

Mona reached across the table and patted his hand in a soft consoling gesture, "You're not sore that the mayor managed to find the witch before you?"

"I'm not too proud of a man. Just thorough. There's still a matter of finding some missing girls from the town."

"You don't think those witches had already disposed of them, do you?" Mona asked.

"No... I just have a hunch," Alaric said continuing to hold eye contact with her. "Perhaps you'd be able to help in the search? Maybe you know a little more about these woods surrounding the town?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Mona sighed apologetically, "I have faith that Gregor and his people will be able to do something about it for those poor children."

"Gregor? You're on a first name basis with he mayor?"

Mona reclined slightly in her chair, "Among the newcomers to the town, Mayor Steiner has been very welcoming to me."

"I see. I've heard rumors that you two have become rather friendly with each other."

The elf maid laughed and set her glass down as she echoed his own words this time, "Now Alaric, you shouldn't believe everything you hear. I must say... I've found our little conversation rather enjoyable. Alas, my wine glass is empty but perhaps you'd care to continue this talk somewhere quieter?"

Alaric gave her a thin smile and shook his head as he rose slowly from his chair, "I appreciate the offer, but it's best I take my leave. Please, take my wine. I hardly touched it."

She took his glass and took a sip of the deep red wine before giving an abrupt splutter. Mona coughed and recoiled from the cup, staring at it before looking to the departing form of Alaric. As the Hunter left the room, he had seen Mona's reaction to the tampered wine and his suspicions were confirmed. Salt was a substance widely known to ward off witches and if Mona had reacted like that, she had now become his target.

* * *

Alaric left the tavern and hid in the darkness of an alleyway waiting for his mark to leave the tavern. A short time later, Mona left the tavern and gave a wary look around before taking another path. Alaric silently followed her at a distance making his way across the dark quiet streets of the town. A few small torch pits lined the path and burned casting dim flickering light along the sides of the buildings. Alaric pulled his cloak a little closer to him and exhaled in the chilly air so a faint cloud of steam emerged. He looked about his surroundings and watched the flickering shadows along the buildings before he saw Mona pause and stand still. She stood in place muttering something quietly while Alaric watched and listened to the darkness around them. Alaric's hand slowly drifted to the hilt of his sword when he caught sight of some movement in his peripheral vision.

Along the edges of the flickering light, he could see semi-humanoid figures creeping from the inky darkness circling around like hungry wolves that were planning to corner their prey. The shadow beasts looked to have grotesquely long arms and claw-like hands along with tendrils of dark wisps trailing from their necks like the manes of lions. The beasts' faces were half obscured by a bone mask that cut off around the jawline where the maws of the creatures snarled in low menacing tones. Along their bodies and their masks were the bloody sigils of Orcus, infusing them with the demon lord's unholy power. The monsters crept out from the shadows along the sides of the buildings while a few more barred Alaric's path just down the road.

No doubt these were more of the witch's summoned minions meaning Alaric was getting close. He had been directly targeted now and the witch continued on past her summoned sentinels before disappearing down a side-street. There might be time later to celebrate the progress of the hunt, but right now Alaric had other things to worry about. Another life or death struggle had just erupted as the vicious shadow beasts gave hideous wailing roars and charged forward to attack.


	4. The Monsters We Fight

Alaric's blade flashed from its sheath as he swiftly sidestepped the first horror and rolled off its shoulder to block the attack of the next beast. The shadowy horrors moved quickly and scuttled about leading with their long arms while they snarled. The inhuman beasts circled and regrouped with their unsettling alien-like movements as Alaric's rapier raked one across the facemask and warded it off.

The warlock had been in some tough fights before, but even this one looked troubling. Whoever this blood witch was, she had some degree of power to be able to summons such durable minions. Another shadow lunged forward and Alaric parried its claw before turning his silvered sword inside and slicing at the beasts forearm. It howled and fell over to the pavement as the Hunter cut off the monster's claw and landed a glancing slash across its flank.

While Alaric was off balance, another shadow beast struck and he deflected the first claw attack before being clipped in the side from the follow up attack. The Hunter flew sideways and landed hard on the ground, rolling to his side. He shook the stars from his vision and tried to catch the breath that had been knocked from his lungs before a pair of the beasts rushed him and took on a semi gaseous form of smoky blackness. The beasts tackled him and drove him back into a brick wall with a flurry of wild clawing and biting.

Alaric gritted his teeth and smashed one of them away in the mouth with the guard of his blade while he drew his wand and sent the second flying backward with a burst of icy magic power. The shadows began to regroup as Alaric raised his guard and took a moment to catch his breath. He had been fortunate that his long leather coat had been magically warded and reinforced with enchantments to protect him. While it certainly didn't make him invulnerable but it was still enough to turn aside serious or potentially fatal blows. The Hunter ignited his wand and swept it around blasting aside a shadow beast with a bolt of eldritch energy and it disintegrated as its mask was destroyed in the attack.

The remaining three beasts surged forward and lashed out furiously. Alaric used his agility to dodge one of them and then drive his blade into the chest of another monster that reared up to claw him. What Alaric hadn't counted on was that his blade had only minor effect on the inky semi-corporeal body of the monster. It grunted in pain but forced him backward to trip on the last of the monsters. Alaric fell to his back and kicked aside the toothy biting maw of one beast while the other prepared to pounce on him from the flank.

The monster never made it to the ground before another figure interposed himself and swung a flanged mace to smash the creature in its masked face. A ringing clash was heard as the beast crashed sideways and clutched its wounded face while Klaus turned to Alaric and helped him back to his feet. The Hunter blinked in surprise, "Klaus? What are you doing here?"

"I just had a feeling you were going to get into trouble," the younger deputy replied with a grim smirk as the two men regrouped to face the monsters, "And I'm kind of starting to regret my decision now."

"We'll get through this," Alaric said as he brandished his wand, "Just follow my lead now. Try and get clear around them!"

The monsters charged again and grappled with the two with their freakishly long arms. As Alaric struggled, one of the beasts batted Klaus aside with a backhand and then pinned him with its claw-like hand. Alaric saw his comrade in danger and turned his wand to the offending monsters calling out an incantation, " _Luminos_!"

The tip of the wand erupted in a bright flare of arcane light and it caused the beasts standing nearby to recoil in fear and blindness. The warlock glanced sideways and eyed one of the large kerosene lanterns hanging from a nearby storefront, "Now Klaus! Use the fire!"

The deputy nodded and scrambled back to his feet. He grabbed the nearest burning oil lantern before hurling it at one of the cowering shadow beasts. The lantern shattered on the monster spilling it with oil and setting it ablaze. The monster howled and flailed about in pain before it sunk to the ground to burn away. One of it comrades turned on Klaus and bounded after him but it was caught by an eldritch blast that knocked it down at Klaus's feet. The startled deputy raised his mace and smashed his weapon on the creature's head several times causing it to slump sideways from the bludgeoning. The last of the beasts turned and fled the scene while Alaric walked over calmly and thrust his rapier into the neck of the last wounded monster and twisted it sideways. The motion decapitated the monster and the rest of the body and head melted away into a dark slimy ichor from which it had been animated from.

"Damn... what was that thing? What the hell is going on here?" Klaus demanded as he shook off his stupor and caught his breath.

Alaric bent down to examine the remains of one of the dead monsters and touched the slime with one of his gloves, "Some of the witch's summoned pets no doubt. I was following her and she must have gotten spooked."

"You found the witch?" Klaus gasped as he hung his mace back on his belt.

"I believe so," Alaric nodded, "It seems Mayor Steiner's friend Mona is the one causing all the chaos. She might not look it, but she's got some power and experience."

"Are you alright?" Klaus asked acknowledging the tough fight that just went down.

Alaric nodded, taking a moment to stretch and examine his scuffed coat. He gave a wince as he touched a tender spot and gritted his teeth, "I got a little banged up but my coat is warded and took the worst of it. Maybe a few bruised ribs, but nothing I can't handle. We've got to hurry and catch up to Mona before she gets too far. I'm sure she's going to try and draw us off from the mayor's schemes here."

"And just how are we supposed to find her?" Klaus asked. We don't even know where her lair is."

The warlock held up some of the muck from the dead beast as the rest of the dark magic around the monsters evaporated away. "What does this look like to you?"

Klaus shrugged, "I don't know... pond scum from a swamp?"

Alaric wiped his hands with a nod, "Mona must have used this peat as a material component for her summoning spell. Are there any areas around this town where this sort of stuff would accumulate?"

Klaus thought for a moment and then nodded, "Yes. There's a large peat bog a few miles west of the town that feeds into the woodlands. It's a treacherous area and most people tend to avoid it."

"Then that sounds like the perfect spot for a witch's lair," Alaric said as he wiped his blade and put away his weapons. With any luck, she'll lead us there."

"You know where she's going now?"

Alaric pulled his comrade back toward the tavern to fetch their horses, "I'm willing to bet she goes and reports this to Steiner. We'll camp out near his home and follow her the rest of the way. Wherever her lair is, that's where we'll find those captured girls from the village."

"And what about Tala and Kirsten?" Klaus asked in concern as the rushed down a dark alleyway, "They're going to be put through a show trial tomorrow."

Alaric grimaced, "First thing's first. If we don't stop that witch before the next blood moon, whatever happens here might not even matter anymore."

* * *

The two comrades recovered their horses and hurried over to the mayor's estate. When they neared, they kept their distance and took cover behind some nearby trees. They waited in the shadows for a short time before seeing the cloaked figure of Mona leave the house. She mounted a horse and hurried off toward the outskirts of town. Alric and Klaus took off and followed her into the night, being sure to maintain their distance while keeping her in sight. They continued their chase and left the boundary of Nordenheim, crossing a field that eventually led to the woodlands.

In the distance, they saw Mona ignite a lantern to light her path before entering the woods. The two men followed and apprehensively entered the dark forests in pursuit. As they navigated through the undergrowth, Klaus rubbed his hands in the chilly air and muttered quietly, "I know we don't have any other choice here, but this is still a bad idea."

Alaric pulled up the collar of his coat to stay warm and nodded in agreement, "I won't disagree. The darkness and the rough path won't make things any easier going forward."

Their horses seemed to agree with them as they snorted and continued on into the gloomy woodlands. The men followed the witch's lantern for a time in complete silence before Alaric spoke, "I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier... for coming to help in the battle with those shadow beasts."

Klaus shrugged sheepishly, "Oh? You're welcome. I guess I was just paying you back for saving me from before... and it was the right thing to do."

"I can see why you became a member of your town watch," the Hunter remarked idly, "From what I can see, you seem to have a sense of duty and fairness, which is more than I can say for your other town officials. I doubt if your town's sheriff were up on his feet, he'd be giving me a lot less latitude to work here."

"I think the situation called for it right now," Klaus snorted in mild amusement. They trudged on a ways before he continued, "I can tell you're used to working on your own."

"I've been doing it for a little while now. I guess I just got used to it," Alaric replied, "When you're hunting monsters and creatures of the darkness, it sometimes helps when you just have to worry about yourself and focus solely on the mission... on what has to be done."

"You're not saying I'm dead weight here, are you?" Klaus asked with a half joking snort.

"No. Of course not," Alaric answered quietly, "I'm just saying that I've realized there are times when operating in a group has its downsides."

Klaus drew his cloak closer to him, "Maybe... but at least when you're working in a team, you have others who can help look out for you or do things you can't, like the way some of those roaming adventuring parties do things."

"I had been an adventurer at one point," Alaric said with a pensive frown, "But with who and what we did, I cannot remember anymore. I sometimes wonder if it's for the best that I don't know now."

"I had considered becoming an adventurer before," Klaus admitted, "To see more of the countryside and maybe find some treasure..."

"Trust me Klaus, you're far better off here," Alaric interrupted with a grim expression, "You have an honest paying job, you have a home, and people who care about you in Nordenheim."

Klaus clenched a fist, "And all that might be taken away if Steiner and that witch get their way here."

"I won't let that happen," Alaric said with urging his horse onward through the dark wooded trail, "I was sent here to put things right and that's what I intend to do."

* * *

Eventually, the terrain of the woods shifted and the ground gave way to that of a marshy bog. They had followed the witch several miles toward the edge of the woods where it eventually met a swampland. The ground grew more soggy and muddy while hints of decaying vegetation assaulted their nostrils. As they slogged on, Klaus eyed the area around them as pale light from the moon illuminated their way. Now that they had passed through the dense woods, the moon was much more visible highlighting some of the dead and fallen trees sticking out of the dark marshes like half buried bodies contorted in agonized positions.

"To think that hag would drag those poor girls all the way out here to this awful place."

"The less people who pass by and interfere with them, the better," Alaric noted, "Be careful. We may be close to cornering her, but we might be at more of a disadvantage in this place too."

"You said she was powerful," Klaus said nervously, "More powerful than the magic you already know?"

The Hunter shrugged and led thew way with a rueful smile, "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

Eventually, they saw Mona's light stand still as the witch came upon her remote cottage in the desolate swamp. She lit the lanterns outside her moss covered abode and the two could see that her rickety wooden cottage seemed to be supported by several large wooden beams that were tied together into jointed structures. The joints radiated out and secured the house to the uneven ground making it almost look like the cottage was some sort of giant spider at rest. The two dismounted and tied their horses to some nearby tree stumps and crept closer. As their boots sunk into the slimy ichor of the bog, Alaric noted the abundant pond scum at hand and muttered, "No more shadow beasts yet. That's a good sign."

Klaus pulled out his mace and gripped it as he tried to muster his courage, "All right Alaric? What now?"

The Hunter scanned the area and then looked to the skies as if searching for some divine omen from the Raven Queen. He took a slow breath and rose from where he was crouching, "I'll draw the witch out and deal with her. While she's distracted, you search the house. Rescue any captive girls if you can and get them back to town."

"What about you?" Klaus protested quietly, "We're a team here, aren't we? I can't leave you behind to..."

"What happens to me does not matter," Alaric scowled as he steeled himself for battle and walked forward, "I'm counting on you to save those innocents. They need us to do our parts Klaus."

The younger man fell silent and nodded in understanding to wait for his cue while the Hunter strode forward across the murky lawn and confronted Mona. The witch had her back turned and stood still as if waiting for the Hunter while the swamp mists rose up around her. She turned her head slightly and spoke in a calm voice, "Come to take me up on my offer again Witch Hunter? Perhaps have a bit of quiet intimate conversation with me too?"

"I didn't come to talk," Alaric said coldly as he stopped several yards away and drew his rapier, "Where are the girls, you hag?"

Mona laughed lightly, "Safe enough for now Alaric. I can't spill their blood until tomorrow night... but you already knew that, didn't you?"

"You were going to perform some blood sacrifice to the demon lord Orcus," Alaric answered, "With the Blood Moon."

Mona turned around slowly revealing her true form. The disguise of her Elven beauty had given way to that of a hideous ghoulish woman with glowing red eyes and jagged fetted teeth. Her skin was sallow and half decomposed but she radiated a fearful aura of dread around her, "A fitting tribute, don't you think? The youth and life force of those girls will be enough to sustain me for another hundred years so that I can continue my service to my master."

"I think you're a sick monster," Alaric said as he tensed his muscles and stared down the frightful hag, "Which is why I'm going to end your reign of terror right now."

The witch's jagged lips curled into a sadistic smile as she drew a wand from her robes. It was a stalk of wicker bunched together and bound by rusted rings, "No my dear Hunter. You came all this way and braved the swamp just to see me. It's only right I show you a little hospitality."

She swept her wand around and a crackling bolt of enchanted fire erupted forth toward the black clad witch hunter.


	5. Blood Moon

A bright jet of green witchfire went wide as Alaric barely dodged clear of the incoming spell. He rolled sideways and felt the searing heat of the fire off his shoulder before pulling his wand. He recovered to his knee and called out an incantation just as the blood witch fired another burst of enchanted flames at him. The warlock gestured with his wand and swiftly raised a barrier of force to protect him. The witchfire smashed into the shield and dissipated but the sheer force of the blast hurled Alaric backward into some reeds and shrubbery nearby.  
Klaus watched in dread from his hiding place as the ghastly looking hag gave a snort of derision and walked off to go find her opponent. Klaus waited a few moments before he got up and quickly moved toward the witch's house while she was preoccupied. He did his best to not make any noise or trip over anything as he knew he didn't have a lot of time. Alaric had taken a big risk to face that blood witch in a head on duel and he was trusting Klaus to do his job too. The young man sprinted up to the door and forced it open before gripping his mace and wading into even more danger.

Back outside, Mona prowled around the fens looking for where the witch hunter could be hiding. She knew he wasn't dead and that she shouldn't take any chances either. In a life or death battle, there was no room to fight fairly. "Come out and make this easy for the both of us Hunter. I promise I'll spare your suffering and give you a quick death."

She saw a rustling in the reeds nearby and Mona gave a shriek as she fired off another spell at that location. To her surprise, it had been a distraction, and Alaric emerged from the reeds opposite her. He fired off an eldritch blast of his own and the jet of energy clipped Mona from behind, momentarily stunning her. She whirled around just in time as he closed and lashed out with his blade. The witch's inhuman speed helped her dodge the slash but she gave a cry as the blade glanced off her side inflicting a minor stinging wound.

Alaric tried to strike again but Mona caught his sword arm and held it firmly with superhuman strength. He grunted and swung his wand hand around, punching her in the face and trying to aim another spell at her but she shook off the blow and grabbed his other wrist squeezing it in a crushing grip. He yelped in pain as Mona twisted his forearms with a sadistic grin, and hurled him in the air back toward her cottage. Alaric spun through the air and landed in a stunned heap on the marshy ground. The wind had been knocked from his lungs and his vision swam with stars as he dropped his weapons and rolled to his side gasping.

Before he knew it, the hag was upon him and stepped down on his wrist so that he couldn't reach his sword. She reached down and gripped his neck with her hand. She loomed overhead and looked down upon him with her hideous half rotten face, giving a predatory smile. "You don't go down easy Hunter. I appreciate it when my victims put up a fight. It makes killing them all the more satisfying."

"If you think I'm going to become a sacrifice to Orcus, you're sorely mistaken," Alaric grunted as he struggled feebly against her grip on his throat.

She squeezed slightly to silence him before giving a slow smile, "Tell me Alaric... how did you figure out it was me that was terrorizing Nordenheim?"

"You were the common thread," Alaric replied as he slowly moved his hand back toward his belt, "Mayor Steiner's witch hunts were all a distraction because you both were working together."

Mona laughed in amusement as her eyes sparkled with malevolence, "Oh? And why would we ever agree to such a thing?"

"You both could give each other something you needed," Alaric rasped as she brushed the edge of her wand against cheek to taunt him,

"He gave you free run of the town and covered for you so that you could kidnap those girls. You were going to help him seize total power... take out his enemies who stood in his way, or those who held him down like his wife."

"Impressive," Mona laughed, "You should never underestimate the mortals' capacity for greed and retribution. But you already know all about that, don't you?"

"My job is to fight all kinds of monsters," the Hunter replied looking her in the eyes, "Some are just more horrible than others."

Mona tightened her grip as her features contorted into an ugly scowl, "Then let me show you just how horrible I can really be."

While they had been talking, Alaric had secretly pulled a silver knife from his belt before using it to stab her in the side. Mona gave a shriek of rage and pain as she let go and recoiled backward. A powerful demonic witch like her would not be killed by such a blow, but for now it was enough to slow her down temporarily. She fell over and struggled to pull the dagger from her side while Alaric staggered back to his feet and tried to ready himself to fight some more. He was already tired, bruised, and covered in mud but he could only hope Klaus was having more luck inside the house.

* * *

Within the witch's hovel, Klaus looked around to try and get his bearings in the dimly lit place. Lining the walls and tables were a clutter of items raging from pots and cookware to work tools. Jars of strange arcane ingredients sat alongside more mundane ones like roots and fungus for spells and charms. Moss hung from the old wooden ceilings while a low fire crackled from the hearth with some twisted candles spread through the room giving dim light. He carefully navigated deeper inside the foreboding house until he came to the main living room where several cages lined the walls. To Klaus's horror, he saw the forms of six teenage girls from the village huddled up fearfully at the edge of their prison. After having been gone for a few days, they looked dirty, frightened, and hungry but still very much alive which was a minor comfort.

They looked at the newcomer in fear before they realized it wasn't the witch, but a member of their town watch. One of the older girls scrambled to the edge of the cage and began to rattle it while calling out, "Please sir! Help us! There's a wicked witch and she..."  
"I know girls. It's okay," Klaus said as he swallowed his fear and tried to focus on helping the girls, "I'm going to get you out of here so just hang on."

He looked about for a few moments and saw that the cages were old and rusty. The locks upon them were heavy, but not invincible either. He raised his mace and aimed it at the locks, "Stand back girls."

They did as he said while he hammered away at the locks and shattered them with a series of desperate swings. Once the locks came off, he helped the dirty ragged girls get free and led them toward the main door, "Come on. We have to get out of here. Quickly now!"

Before they could reach the front door, they were stopped at a connecting corridor when a pair of arms reached out grabbed Klaus. The creature's arms and body appeared to be made of straw and wicker giving it the look of an animated scarecrow. Its head was covered in burlap with hollow recesses to where its eyes and mouth should have been. Perhaps it was some sort of conjured servant or housekeeper of the witch that had been drawn to all the noise of the rescue, but now was not the time to speculate. The girls recoiled in fear and cried out in alarm while Klaus was grappled and pinned to a wall by the demonic scarecrow automaton. He pushed aside the monster's hand that tried to cover his mouth and he choked out, "Get out of here girls! Run and find somewhere to hide outside! I'll come for you!"

The girls fled while the witch's servitor ignored them and focused on its quarry. It gripped the watchman's shoulders and hurled him into a nearby table with surprising strength knocking several items over and making a mess on the floor. Klaus shook off the blow and staggered to his feet before the wicker man attacked again. This time Klaus raised his mace and turned inside his foe to swing with a devastating counterstrike aimed at its head. The scarecrow staggered as the mace strike took its head clean off and sent it crashing against the wall across the room. Unfortunately, the loss of its head did nothing to slow it down and the monster lashed out striking Klaus and sending him tumbling backwards into more furniture. The wicker man shuffled across the room and reattached its head before turning back toward the startled watchman and continuing with their vicious brawl.

* * *

Back outside, Mona grunted and pulled the dagger from her ribs before she saw the front door of her house fly open. To her shock, the girls she was holding captive fled outside toward some sunken trees nearby. Mona moved to try and chase them but a bead of energy flew past her and blocked her path as it detonated into a screen of bright orange red flames. The witch growled and turned back to face the warlock who had picked up his wand and protected the fleeing girls with a wall of fire. She gritted her teeth, "You didn't come alone?"

"It's not the way we Hunters normally do things but I decided to break with tradition a little," Alaric retorted with a feral grin as he took a moment to catch his second wind.

The hag snorted and began to shake her head with a derisive laugh, "You really thought you were so smart... didn't you? You think a little bit of fire is supposed to scare me?"

She raised her arms and waved her wand while speaking an ugly sounding incantation in the Abyssal language. To Alaric's surprise, he watched as the sunken beams of the house outside began to shift and stir with groaning and creaking noises. Mud from the wet marshy ground began to give way as the witches house slowly began to rise up, supported by the series of interconnected wooden beams outside. Sure enough, the house reared up like a spider as its wooden legs freed themselves and secured themselves on the ground. That must have been how this witch traveled about the Shadowfell, by animating her own house into a semblance of a monstrous creature. As he had not seen Klaus leave the house yet, Alaric worried that his comrade was now trapped inside the huge weaponized abode.

Mona cackled as she directed the house to stamp out the flames and then try and step on the surprised warlock. Alaric dove clear as one of the legs came down in a thundering crash spraying mud and pond scum everywhere. As he recovered to his feet, Alaric looked up in alarm as the witch cast another spell and used telekinesis to hurl some nearby logs and debris at him. The Hunter grunted as one of the rotting hollow stumps of wood flew through the air and hit him in the shoulder. The log exploded into a cloud of splinters as Alaric was thrown backward and his shoulder erupted in a burst of blinding pain. As he lay stunned and injured in the mud the blood witch grinned and strode forward to claim her next victim.

* * *

Meanwhile inside the house, Klaus grappled with the freakishly strong scarecrow before the felt the house shift and move violently as it came to life. The two combatants lost their balance and were thrown over sideways as they crashed into a wall and knocked some shelves over. Jars shattered and cookware clattered to their ground as the house shifted and lurched around again. Klaus kicked the wicker man aside and struggled to secure himself against the ledge of the nearest window, "What the hell is going on here?"

He peered outside and caught sight of Alaric dodging the wooden legs of the house as it thrashed. He grew even more panicked when he saw the witch cast a spell that struck Alaric down and left him reeling in the mud. Klaus couldn't do much else to help before he felt the scarecrow grab him from behind as the living house moved and shook again. Klaus was thrown down hard and he gasped as he saw the automaton had armed itself with a large sharp kitchen knife. It swung the blade and the edge glanced off Klaus's forearm. Fortunately, his chain mail turned aside the blade and he batted the monster back toward the fireplace with a swing of his mace.

The relentless scarecrow took its time to recover to its feet allowing Klaus a minute to try and come up with a new plan. His eyes scanned the room and they eventually landed on a bag of ground flour which had fallen nearby. It was partially ripped open and that's when it gave the young watchman an idea. He grabbed the bag and whipped it around spraying a cloud of flour into the air as well as on his enemy. As the flour began to float in the air, Klaus hurled the rest of the bag into the burning fireplace to cause a chemical reaction. Alaric had told him that when it doubt, it never hurt to use fire against the creatures of darkness and that's what he planned to do. He dove clear into an adjacent room as the bag of flour burst into a great fireball which only spread more as it ignited the flour hanging in the air.

The scarecrow flailed about before it was incinerated and the fireball engulfed the entire cooking area of the house. Once the blast cleared, Klaus could see that he had caused a great fire from within the witch's house and that it wouldn't be long before the entire rest of the home would be caught up in the blaze. The house recoiled and shuddered as it felt its innards ignite and Klaus rushed to the nearest window in the front living room. He smashed the window out with his mace and decided to take a risk. He threw himself shoulder first out the window amid a shower of glass to the ground below.

* * *

Back outside, Mona ambled over to where Alaric lay on the ground. She picked up his fallen dagger and then bent down to haul him up to his knees. She gave a triumphant smile and pulled his head up roughly by his hair, "It's over witch hunter. I'm going to kill you, your partner, and those girls from the village and there's no one who will stop me. Your journey ends in darkness as that's where I will send you back to."

Alaric winced and croaked out a question as grime and blood spattered his face "What?"

Mona smirked and spoke in a mockingly sweet voice as she wiped some of the blood from his face with her finger and licked it, "You didn't think I would notice? You were born of the darkness too... or was it reborn? That cloud of death just hangs off of you, the sign of those who experienced a Dark Awakening."

It was not a common occurrence in the Shadowfell of a soul who had been given a second chance at life. It was often said that the Raven Queen had plans for those rare exceptions and that their strands of fate should not be cut short just yet. Whether they had perished in their previous lives or if they had been summoned to this realm, no one ever knew. The victims often woke up in the Shadowfell with little to no memory of who they were or what had happened before. Some thought of this as the Raven Queen's blessing while others thought it more of a curse.

"Perhaps the Raven Queen was a fool to place so much trust in someone as weak as you," the witch said as she stabbed him in the side with the dagger. She sneered and pulled the knife free before tossing it aside. Alaric fell over to the ground clutching his bloody side as his foe decided to delight in watching his slow demise.

Suddenly, a great cloud of fire erupted from the animated house causing the witch to turn in horrified shock. She gave a shriek into the air as the fiery house staggered and wobbled over toward her, "No! How can this be?"

Alaric grinned quietly to himself as he gripped his wand. Whatever happened must have been Klaus's doing and at least they would bring this monster down with them. He mustered all his remaining strength and channeled it into a few more spells. He caught Mona from behind and blasted her away with an energy bolt before chilling the ground around her feet to pin her in place for a few moments. As the witch struggled, the flaming house lumbered closer to her and Alaric aimed a handful of energy bolts at the joints of its legs.

Mona could only look up and roar in fury as the legs gave out and the flaming house crashed down on top of her burying the witch in a thundering cloud of wood, bricks and fire. Once it settled, the remains of the house collapsed in upon itself and burned to the ground in a great bonfire which spouted a colossal pillar of smoke as it lit up the surrounding swamplands for miles.

Having seen that the witch was finally disposed of and that the girls had been saved, Alaric gave a slow nod as he dropped his wand and gave in to his exhaustion and accumulated wounds. He collapsed backwards to the ground as his blood seeped into the mud around him and his vision gave way to calm peaceful darkness.


	6. Absolution

The world was dark and his senses swarm in a blurry fog as Alaric lay upon the ground. He felt the soft brush of fingertips upon his cheek while a cool breath washed over him. Was he dreaming again? Was he dead? Was he experiencing another Dark Awakening? His body was so tired and his brain struggled to recall what had happened. There was the witch, and the walking house that was set on fire and collapsed on her. He could recall that at least. He could almost swear he heard someone gently calling his name, as if trying to rouse him from slumber, "Alaric... Alaric... wake up..."

The warlock groaned and slowly cracked open his eyes to see a familiar figure sitting over him. The Dark Lady was sitting next to him gently touching his face with a serene expression, almost as if it were like a loving mother to her sleeping child. Her dark eyes turned to him and she leaned back with a calm smile, "There you are. I knew you would eventually come to."

"Where am I?" Alaric grunted as he struggled to get up and look around, "Am I dead?"

The Dark Lady shook her veiled head, "No Alaric. You are not dead, but you may be somewhere in-between right now."

The Hunter glanced out of his peripheral vision and saw his surroundings were obscured in a sort of gray fog while the environment around them was a seemingly blank and nondescript limbo. He was no longer in the swamp, or in Nordenheim, or anywhere for that matter. He turned his eyes to the Dark Lady, "What about the witch? And Klaus?"

She put a hand on his chest to ease him back down, "The blood witch of Orcus has been slain and your friend lives."

Alaric sighed and nodded, "That's good... but his girlfriend and the fortune teller Tala. Steiner is still going to try them for witchcraft and..."

"And that is why you must get up now my dear Hunter," the Dark Lady said, "This is not your time to die. The Fates will not yet allow it and the Raven Queen's will shall be done."

She placed a hand on his bloodied side where he had been mortally wounded and he felt a cool rippling sensation before he was engulfed in a wispy fog. When the miasma cleared, Alaric gasped and opened his eyes finding himself back on the marshy grounds where he had fallen. The fog had taken on the form of smoke of the burnt out witch's house that lay several yards away. He could smell the burnt wood and the stink of the swamps as well as feel the damp air of the early morning that had set in over the land.

"Alaric! You're alive!" Klaus exclaimed as he sat hovering over his comrade with a blood soaked cloth, "I thought you had died just now!"

The young watchman had a grimy face that was bruised and cut in a few spots, but he wore a relieved smile. His tabbard was scorched and tattered while his chain mail was scuffed meaning he must have been through quite an ordeal himself.

"Yeah... I almost thought the same thing about you," Alaric croaked out as he saw that the freed girls from the village had also gathered around to help. They still looked dirty, tired, and frightened, but slightly more relieved now. Two of them had recovered a first aid kit from the horse's saddle bags along with a canteen of water for him.

"Your wound looked bad," Klaus said, "Hold still. I'm going to..."

He paused and frowned in confusion when he saw that the knife wound seemed to have miraculously vanished. Alaric's injury had mended and there was no longer any blood... not even a scar. "How in the hell did that happen? I could have sworn..."

"Let's just say my magic was a little stronger than that witch's, okay?" Alaric chuckled grimly as he sat up. He was now feeling stronger as he found his wounds healed and his strength was slowly returning to him. Whatever the Dark Lady had done, he couldn't be sure but he was grateful to be allied with an emissary of the Raven Queen, though he often wondered if the Dark Lady was an avatar of the goddess herself too.

He was handed the canteen of fresh water and he drank greedily before handing it off to Klaus who did the same. Finally, the younger man sighed and looked over to the smoldering ruins of the house nearby, "So... it's finally over? The wicked witch is dead?"

"Seems that way. Whatever you did back there to set the house on fire really helped out."

Klaus grinned and extended a hand, "I just got some good advice from a professional monster killer. You said when in doubt, kill it with fire, didn't you?"

Alaric couldn't help himself as he broke out into a smile and laughed quietly. He took Klaus's hand and shook it, "Good work Sheriff. I think we made a good team."

Klaus helped his new friend rise as the oldest looking of the rescued girls came over to offer the Hunter his weapons and his hat which had been scattered in the fight, "Sir? On behalf of the other girls, I wanted to thank you and Klaus again... for everything."

Alaric sheathed his weapons and took his tricorn hat, giving it a chivalrous tip toward her before placing it back on his head, "Thank you Miss, but I'm just doing my job. I'm glad you're all safe again."

"Alaric, we need to get these ladies back to the town quickly," Klaus urged him as he cut in, "We have to make our report to the mayor and stop him from doing anything to Kirsten and Tala."

Alaric once again felt a rush of adrenaline as he realized there were two more lives left to save and they didn't have much time either. Morning was just breaking and it would take several hours before they would be able to reach the outskirts of Nordenheim. He nodded and led one of the girls toward the horses, "Come on. We won't have a lot of time to spare."

"But what about our proof?" Klaus asked, "The witch's remains burned with the rest of the house."

"We have the word of these six girls," Alaric offered as he gestured to them, "The mayor's burden of proof is low enough. The fact they're still alive and here should speak for itself."

* * *

After slogging though the marshes and forests for the better part of the day, Alaric and Klaus finally returned to the town of Nordenheim looking dirty, disheveled, and exhausted. As they staggered toward the town hall, small crowds were gathering, looking in surprised wonder at the miraculous return of the kidnapped girls who shared the two horses. The Hunter and watchman ignored most of the mumbling and continued walking their mounts toward the steps of town hall where they were met with Sheriff Hans Brunner.

Klaus's eyes went wide in surprise as he stopped his mount and stared, "Sheriff Brunner? You're back on your feet?"

The older man nodded and gestured to his bandaged head and his arm which was in a sling, "Aye. I wasn't planning on dying quite yet. I heard you were filling in for me these past few days."

"Yes sir," Klaus said, "I was working with this witch hunter named Alaric. He was sent from Raven's Eyerie to help us."

The older sheriff turned and nodded toward the warlock, "I thank you for coming out all this way son, but I'm afraid there's not much left to do. Mayor Steiner seems to have caught the last of the witches around here. Klaus, I'm sorry but your girlfriend..."

"There's been a terrible misunderstanding Hans!" Klaus interrupted, "Kirsten and Tala are not witches. The mayor set them up to take the fall for someone else! It was Mona this whole time!"

"Can you prove that?"

"We just fought that monster and killed her," Alaric interjected gesturing to their disheveled and bloodied appearance, "If you don't believe it, ask the girls here."

Brunner blinked in surprise before realizing that the six girls who had gone missing were now returned to safety. One of them called out from horseback, "It's true Sheriff. Deputy Hess and his friend saved our lives from that monster. They dropped a house on her and set it on fire!"

Alaric glanced around as fear began to bubble up in his stomach, "Where are Kirsten and Tala?"

Sheriff Brunner grimaced, "They stood trial this morning and were found guilty of witchcraft."

"What?" Klaus exclaimed in outrage, "How? You know Steiner is a cheat! Why didn't you do anything about it?"

"What could I do?" Brunner frowned defensively, "I was bedridden for two days and barely knew what was going on."

"Where are they Sheriff?" Alaric asked solemnly as he narrowed his eyes.

Brunner sighed, "The mayor and his hired men took the women to the hanging tree just outside of town. They didn't leave too long ago and..."

"We have to go now," Klaus interrupted as he quickly helped the girls off the horses and thrust the reins toward Alaric, "There's no time to debate."

The Hunter nodded to his comrade and mounted his horse before glancing to Brunner, "Look after these girls and take them to their families Sheriff."

"What? And just where are you two going?"

Alaric wheeled his horse and took off after Klaus, "Setting things right... for good."

* * *

At the outskirts of Nordenheim, Tala and Kirsten were taken by a group of armed mercenaries led by Mayor Steiner. They came across an old oak tree with thick gnarled branches that only looked more menacing with the loss of its leaves in the autumn season. The large tree had already garnered a bit of a dark reputation among the townspeople. It was an object of fear and dread from its designation as the town's hanging tree. Criminals, brigands, and those who had given themselves to the dark gods had been hung here in hopes their evil would be kept away from the rest of the town. At that point, it looked like two more victims would soon join that number.

Kirsten sobbed in fear while the old Vistani fortune teller Tala kept a defiant air as they were taken off the horseback and marched toward the tree. As they had expected, the mayor had conducted his show trial earlier that day and with Father Mordecai's approval, sentenced the two women to death. Tala scowled and swatted away one of the guards even though her wrists were bound with rope, "Let go of me you animal! You're making a terrible mistake! Are you really going to let this fraud of a mayor hang us? We're innocent!"

"With what that fraud of a mayor is paying us, I'll believe whatever he wants us to," the mercenary snorted as he roughly shoved her forward, "Now keep moving you old bag. You've wasted enough of our time."

Mayor Gregor Steiner sat on his horse and primly adjusted his gloves as he watched his men prepare two nooses to hang over the branches. He gave a satisfied smile to himself knowing that he was more or less in the clear now. He had been made to look the hero by finding the last of the "witches" and he had eliminated his enemies in the town, ending with Tala. He had been concerned with the meddling of Alaric and Klaus but it now looked like they would be disposed of as well. Mona had guaranteed that she would lead them off and deal with them personally. Even if his scheme to seize total power required the blood of a few more victims and dealing with a blood witch, it was a price he was more than willing to pay.

The corrupt cleric Father Mordecai walked up alongside Steiner and folded his hands in his robes, "You know... I almost feel sorry for them. Shall I say a few blessings for them before the hanging?"

Steiner looked on impassively, "We have appearances to keep Mordecai. If someone saw us showing mercy to the criminals, then they might get the wrong idea."

He trotted over to the nooses as they were finished and the women were walked over. The mercenaries shoved them forward and put the ropes around their necks before tightening them. They were told to stand on some makeshift stumps that would be kicked out from under them at the signal. He looked to Tala and said, "I have to thank you. You may not know it, but you're doing the town a great service. Your deaths will put the minds of the townspeople at ease."

"You can go to hell you lying snake," Tala spat venomously, "You caused all this, didn't you?"

"I really have nod idea what you're talking about," the mayor smugly smiled, "Now... do you have any final words?"

Kirsten merely whimpered while Tala took a breath, "Klaus and that witch hunter are going to avenge us. I know they can stop you."

"I'm afraid that you're sorely mistaken," Mayor Steiner said, "They went off to confront the real witch last night and it's quite likely, they're both dead by now. I'm sure you'll take comfort in knowing that you can meet them in the great beyond and give them my regards."

He raised his hand to signal the hanging when a bolt of magical energy whistled by and blasted apart the branch overhead which was holding the ropes. The branch collapsed and the two women lost their balance and fell over to the ground in shock. Everyone turned to see two horsemen enter the meadow. One was a tattered watchman in the town's colors and the other was a witch hunter in a long dark coat and a tricorn hat. Alaric held his smoking wand at the ready while Klaus dismounted and pulled his mace, "That's far enough Mayor Steiner! I'm placing you under arrest for conspiracy with the demons and for aiding in the murders of several of our townspeople."

Steiner snorted and waved his mercenaries forward, "I think not. Kill them."

The mercenaries rushed forward as Alaric dismounted and drew his sword to meet them. He took the lead and met the first wave, skillfully deflecting aside their swords and hand axes. He sent one of them tumbling off balance right into Klaus's mace which smashed right into the mercenary's ribs before Klaus turned his weapon and bashed the foe down to the ground in a violent hammering blow. Nearby, Alaric disarmed another mercenary and flicked his rapier up to cut the man's throat and send him falling face first into the mud amid a pool of his own blood.

Another foe attacked from the flank but Alaric sidestepped him and reversed his sword to thrust it into his enemy's side and drop him too. Meanwhile, Klaus tackled a crossbowman and pulled the weapon free before kicking the man in the face and knocking him out. He turned and trained the loaded crossbow right at Father Mordecai as the treacherous cleric tried to sneak up on Alaric and hit him from behind with a magic spell. Klaus fired and the bolt whistled through the air planting itself cleanly in the cleric's neck. The villain gave a surprised gurgle and twisted over limply to the ground while Alaric gave a grinning nod to his comrade for the assist.

The warlock pulled his wand and waved it before the last three mercenaries who were charging forward. With a quick incantation, he conjured magic force which smashed into the three enemies and sent them flying backwards in different directions. As they lay broken and crumpled on the ground, he motioned to Klaus and pointed to the women, "Go help them Klaus."

The deputy watchman hurried over and took a knife to cut away the rope around the wrists and necks of Kirsten and Tala. As Klaus hugged his girlfriend, Steiner drew his sword and charged forward on his horse trying to run down Alaric, "No! Damn you! You're going to ruin everything!"

The Hunter raised his guard and used his agility to sidestep away just in time. He deflected Steiner's weapon away and cut the saddle straps on the backswing causing it to fall off the horse. The corrupt mayor gave a cry and fell off the horse, crashing to the ground. As the horse galloped off, the mayor struggled to rise to his feet and regain his senses while Alaric sheathed his blade and walked forward calmly. "It's over Mayor. You don't want to do this."

Steiner staggered to meet the approaching Hunter and he drew a knife with a sneer, "It looks like if you want something done right, you have have to do it yourself."

Alaric shook his head with a sigh as he caught the mayor's wrist during the knife thrust. Alaric twisted Steiner's wrist, wrenching the weapon loose before he smashed the mayor across the jaw with a swift elbow. As Steiner reeled, Alaric used the momentum to turn the man's arm inward and dislocate his shoulder before dropping Steiner to the ground in a brutal takedown. The mayor lay stunned and whimpering in a heap while the Hunter stood over him impassively.

Mayor Steiner spat some blood from his lip as he was hauled up roughly by the scruff his collar, "No! Let go of me! What are you doing?"

"Carrying out justice," Alaric said as he dragged Steiner toward the tree, "You just tried to kill a sanctioned agent of the Raven Queen. You have to understand... I just can't abide that."

* * *

A short time later, the corrupt mayor found himself balancing precariously from a wooden stump while a noose hung snugly around his neck from the hanging tree. He pleaded in desperation, "Please... let me go. We can make a deal witch hunter."

"I think the only deal you should worry about making is with the demon Orcus himself," Alaric said matter-of-factly, "After all, you sold your soul to him already."

Steiner blanched, "You can't be serious! You can't do this to me!"

"It's a funny thing when you spend so much time judging others and condemning them Mr. Steiner," Klaus said as he helped the women on to some spare horses, "It seems you've basically condemned yourself now."

The mayor's eyes went wide as Alaric stepped back and admired his handiwork, "Are you just going to leave me like this? If I fall, then it's over!"

"I'd suggest you don't lose your balance then," Alaric simply said as he mounted his horse and began to ride away with the others, "The last of Nordenheim's monsters die with you Mister Mayor."

They continued riding off down the road as the mayor wobbled on the stump and continued screaming incoherent curses at the skies. A while later and after some distance, the sound of his oaths died away as the small exhausted group passed through the meadows and reached a fork in the road. One path led back towards town while the other led back toward the city of Gloomwrought. They stopped a moment as Klaus turned to his comrade, "Alaric... thank you again for everything. Are you sure I can't convince you to stay in town and rest a little longer? It's been a rough three days and Kirsten makes some great chicken stew."

Alaric gave a faint smile and shook his head, "Thank you Klaus, I appreciate your kind offer but I think I'll have to pass. My work is done here and I've dallied long enough."

"Off to save other towns from the demons, witches, and monsters of the darkness?"

The Hunter nodded, "Something like that. You can call on me whenever you need me, though I have a feeling Nordenheim will be in good hands. Take care of yourself Klaus."

He extended a hand to his new friend and the younger deputy grinned while giving it a firm shake. Alaric tipped his hat respectfully toward Kirsten and Tala and watched them head back down the path leading toward town. Alaric waited quietly and continued to watch them depart when he heard a familiar voice nearby. "Why Alaric... is that a smile I see on your face? You aren't getting sentimental, are you?"

The Hunter turned toward the Dark Lady and saw her reclining on the low thick branch of a nearby tree. She wore a calm yet amused smile while looking to him intently. He scoffed quietly, "Nonsense. I'm just glad that everything worked out and no more innocent blood was spilled."

"Yes... speaking of which. I appreciate the way you dealt with that corrupt mayor earlier. It was very stylish... poetic even," the Dark Lady said with a cool breezy chuckle.

"Then I hope I didn't outdo myself," Alaric quipped wryly as he buttoned up his collar and dusted off his leather coat.

"Oh there's plenty of work left to do my dear Hunter... many bloody adventures left to go on and more vile monsters yet to kill. I'm sure you'll manage well enough."

Alaric took one more lingering glance toward Nordenheim, "Just point me on my next path and we'll be on our way."

He looked back over and saw the Dark Lady had vanished, leaving him alone with his horse at the crossroads. Alaric gave a small snort of laughter before spurring his mount back toward Gloomwrought and his next perilous adventure.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Thanks again to everyone who's stuck with this fic all the way. I hope you enjoyed this little short story and my contribution to the D &D archive here. I don't often write dark fantasy/horror type stories so this was new ground for me too. To answer the Guest review in the last chapter, the character of Alaric was a character I played for a 4E campaign run by a friend. I created Alaric to be a warlock with high stats in CHA and DEX along with some martial skills and feats tacked on to play like a hybrid class.**

 **I intended this to be one of his prior adventures when he was still working solo. Maybe I'll write some more of his adventures in the future but no guarantee. Feel free to like or comment if you enjoyed this story. Otherwise, thanks again for reading!**


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